Children, youth and families living in Dartmouth North and other parts of Nova Scotia will benefit from two new partnerships announced today, March 31, by the province.

The province signed an agreement with United Way Halifax and the Nova Scotia School Boards Association (NSSBA) recognizing their ability and expertise to work with communities and their partners across the province to address specific issues affecting children, youth and families in a co-ordinated and connected way.

“We know that in areas such as education, mental health, social services, and public safety there are many individuals and families who are not able to reach their potential” said Education and Early Childhood Development Minister Karen Casey. “We’re partnering with United Way Halifax and the NSSBA to open up discussions with residents and others to identify needs and make sure resources are maximized for children, youth and families.”

United Way Halifax will work specifically with Dartmouth North residents and organizations. It will build on work that the province started in March 2015 called Between the Bridges.

“I’m proud of this unique partnership between the province of Nova Scotia and United Way Halifax,” said Sara Napier, president and CEO, United Way Halifax. “The invitation to manage Between the Bridges shows great trust in United Way’s ability to work with communities for successful change. We are looking forward to expanding relationships and discovering new partners to make community change a possibility, from cradle to career in Dartmouth North.”

The new partnership with the NSSBA is called Inspiring Communities. It will use the knowledge gained from the Between the Bridges project to support the expansion of this type of work into other communities.

“The Nova Scotia School Boards Association is happy to be partnering with this project to support the expansion into other communities around the province,” said Sue Ritchie, president, Nova Scotia School Boards Association. “We are pleased to be providing a provincial scope to the Inspiring Communities project.”

Cheyenne Hardy is a teen and resident of Dartmouth North who participated along with hundreds of others in consultations about the issues and opportunities in the community. It’s part of the work launched a year ago by provincial ministers from the departments of Education and Early Childhood Development, Community Services, Health and Wellness and Justice who wanted a new approach on how programs and services are delivered to children and families starting with Dartmouth North.

“As a student, I realize, maybe for the first time in my life, just how many people there are working towards the common goal of keeping us safe and educated,” said Ms. Hardy. “People we don’t even know, are fighting for our youth and our community so we can grow up with every available opportunity to make something of ourselves.”

“The true success of this initiative lies in the community’s ability to take a leading role in setting and implementing community-wide goals for children and families,” said Ms. Casey. “I have every confidence the residents of Dartmouth North are up for the challenge and that momentum can carry on across Nova Scotia.”